Better treatments for HIV-related brain infections
Improving outcomes in HIV-associated opportunistic infections using CNS pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · NIH-11171785
This project aims to find ways to improve how existing antifungal and TB drugs reach and work in the brains of people with HIV who have cryptococcal or tuberculous meningitis.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11171785 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will measure drug levels in cerebrospinal fluid and use pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models to understand how those levels relate to clearing infection. They will compare drug exposure with rates of pathogen clearance, inflammation, drug resistance, thinking and memory outcomes, and survival. The team will also analyze drug distribution in brain tissue using carefully collected post-mortem samples to see where drugs actually reach. The overall goal is to use these findings to inform better dosing or formulations that more effectively treat infections in the brain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV who are diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis or tuberculous meningitis, especially those treated at participating hospitals and willing to provide CSF samples, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without HIV, those with infections outside the central nervous system, or those unwilling to undergo lumbar puncture or consent to sample use (including post-mortem tissue) may not be eligible or benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to dosing or formulation changes that reduce deaths and brain injury from cryptococcal and TB meningitis in people living with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior work has used CSF drug levels to guide treatment, but directly linking brain tissue drug distribution to pathogen clearance and patient outcomes is relatively new and less proven.
Where this research is happening
MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA — MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: NICOL, MELANIE RAE — UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- Study coordinator: NICOL, MELANIE RAE
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: AIDS Associated Opportunistic Infection, AIDS opportunistic infections, AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus